The best and worst thing about podcasts is the vast number available to choose from. While that means you can learn pretty much anything you want via a podcast, it also means that finding the best suited for you can be challenging.
If you're looking for modern history podcasts to add to your library, you don't have to go far. Redditor u/zippykeno asked the subreddit r/podcasts for recommendations: “I am looking to get in the podcast game. And I wanted to start with a podcast about modern history. Preferably something about the last 25 years or something.”
Here are the best answers.
1: The History of the Twentieth Century
u/Accomplished_Beat224's favorite history podcast is The History of the Twentieth Century by Mark Painter. He is 315 episodes in he's covered up through 1938,” they explained, adding that the podcast has no ads.
2: The Rest is History
u/alanfossil loves The Rest is History. According to them, the show “covers a wide range of time, but a lot of modern stuff (with a British slant/humor).”
“I second this, but it should be said each episode covers a different subject within two broad frames,” added u/rfhwbass. “Each of the two hosts has their realm of expertise, with about half the episodes focused on the classical era and the middle ages, the other half on early modern and forward.”
Hosts and historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss modern history with their listeners. They talk about how the past impacts us in the modern world. You can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Acast.
3: The Dollop
The Dollop comes highly recommended by many Redditors. It's a humorous history podcast where the hosts read stories about American history to a comedian who doesn't really get it.
u/saul2015 suggested the episodes on “Wells Fargo, Trump, McCain, Uber, Biden and Clarence Thomas, Soylent, [and] Ferguson” are great places to start.
The Dollop is a You can listen to it here.
4: Hardcore History
If you're dipping your toes into the podcast pond, Redditor u/ShadowsofUtopia recommends Hardcore History, “especially their episodes on WWI (blueprint for Armageddon).”
Journalist Dan Carlin hosts Hardcore History as he dives deep into the past, discussing topics like psychology and the historical stories he tells.
“Hardcore History is so good,” u/VoltaicVoltaire added. “He doesn’t do that modern, at least not yet. The “American Peril” one is pretty amazing and covers the Spanish-American war, and I think sets up the twentieth century pretty well.” They added Blueprint and Ghosts of the Ostefront are also great shows.
You can listen to Hardcore History on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Audible.
5: Blowback
Blowback is “fantastic,” according to many Redditors.
“The first season was a deep dive into the Iraq War,” u/Nerokis explained, adding that, “the second season was about the Cuban Revolution, and the third season was about the Korean War. US shenanigans are the main through-line.”
Blowback's seasons each focus on an important piece of history. Season three is all about the Korean War. You can listen to the podcast here.
6: Slow Burn
Slate's Slow Burn is another great podcast on modern history that comes highly recommended by Redditors.
As u/Nerokis explains, “The first season is about Watergate and the second season is about the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal. Feel free to listen to the Clinton/Lewinsky season and then Blowback's Iraq War season for a nice dive into the turn of the millennium-adjacent Americana, lol.”
u/sao_san_suay added, “Slow Burn’s deep dive into the LA riots was really good, as was their mini-season about Roe v. Wade.”
This long-running podcast focuses on a political event or trend that impacts the world today. season 7 is all about Roe v. Wade. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.
7: History of the 90s
As the title suggests, History of the 90s dives deep into the events that happened during the 90s that changed the course of history. According to u/punchthedog420, the show is by “Canadian journalist who was working a lot in the US. It's mostly US topics. It's a mix of pop culture and major events. I really like it.”
You can listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Maya (she/they) is a queer entertainment and culture journalist. They cover interviews, reviews, roundups, news, and more. She loves horror, history, and creativity. They hope their writing both entertains readers and inspires them to think critically. Her favorite pastimes include needle felting, gaming, and drawing.